Method for administration of a multicast service

ABSTRACT

A method is provided for the administration of a muticast service whereby mobile terminals of users who have subscribed to the multicast service receive multicast messages via a mobile communication network. The present invention seeks to use the available radio resources in a more economical manner. To this end, the mobile terminals are respectively prodied with an input unit which, when actuated, produces activation information which indicates whether the multicast service is activated or deactivated, and the activation information is transmitted to the mobile communication network.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method for administering of amulticast service in which mobile terminals whose users have subscribedto the multicast service receive multicast messages via a mobilecommunications network.

In a multicast service, various subscribers to whom the same multicastmessage is intended to be transmitted are associated with a multicastgroup in which the subscribers are included. This multicast group isidentified by a multicast address. The message data to be transmitted issent only once to this multicast address. Ideally, the multicast messageis sent only once via common connecting paths from a transmitter for themulticast message to the receivers. The transmitter does not need toknow where and how many receivers are concealed behind the multicastaddress.

In known multicast services, it has been found to be disadvantageousthat, irrespective of whether a specific mobile terminal which belongsto a relevant multicast group, is intended to receive multicast messageson the basis of the wishes of the user, multicast messages are sent toall the mobile radio cells in which mobile terminals which belong tothat multicast group are located. As such, the transmission of amulticast message frequently makes use of radio resources which areassociated with a mobile terminal which, on the basis of the wishes ofits user, should not receive any multicast messages at that time.

Against this background, the present invention is directed toward amethod for administering of a multicast service in which the availableradio resources are used more economically.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

For a method of the type mentioned initially, this is achieved by thepresent invention in that the mobile terminals are each equipped with aninput device whose operation results in the production of activationinformation which indicates whether the multicast service activated oris deactivated, and the activation information is transmitted to themobile communications network.

The production of the information that the multicast service isdeactivated at times satisfies the preconditions for allowing the mobilecommunications network to which the information is transmitted to makebetter decisions on the use of its radio resources. It always hasinformation on the multicast service that is currently activated foreach mobile terminal.

The mobile communications network preferably transmits the message forthe multicast service only to those mobile terminals for which thedeactivation information is not present. This efficiently saves radioresources.

The multicast service may be subdivided into two or more serviceelements, with the input device then allowing deactivation of eachindividual service element. The input device may, of course, also beused for reactivation of an individual service element, or all theservice elements.

The activation information is, in particular, preferably stored in theform of a table in the mobile terminal and in the mobile communicationsnetwork, which table contains an entry for each service element as towhether that service element is activated or deactivated.

This table may exist in a continuously updated form in the mobilecommunications network, with terminals which are involved with themulticast service updating their respective tables in the course ofsignaling connections by appropriate information signal transmission tothe mobile communications network.

Additional features and advantages of the present invention aredescribed in, and will be apparent from, the following DetailedDescription of the Invention and the Figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a blocked diagram illustrating the signaling connectionsbetween a node in a mobile communications network, a base station andassociated mobile terminals in connection with the teachings of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is assumed that two mobile radio stations, E1, UE2 are located in amobile radio cell Z which is covered by a base station BS which isconnected via a landline connection to a node of a mobile communicationsnetwork RNC. Both the mobile terminals UE1, UE2 and the node of themobile communications network RNC operate in accordance with UMTSprotocol architecture protocols. Within this architecture, so-called RRCstates, in particular, are defined, which make statements relating tothe signaling state in which a mobile terminal is located with the nodein the mobile communications network RNC.

Initially, both mobile terminals UE1 and UE2 are assumed to be in an“idle mode,” in which the mobile terminals UE1, UE2 receive “broadcast”messages from the node in the mobile communications network RNC andmonitor notification channels (PICH, PCH). The node in the mobilecommunications network RNC has no knowledge about the mobile terminalsUE1, UE2 themselves, nor about whether these mobile terminals UE1, UE2are located in a cell which is controlled by it.

The users of UE1 and UE2 have both subscribed to the multicast serviceA, B and C and belong to associated multicast groups MA, MB, MC.

It is also assumed that the mobile terminal UE1 changes from the RRCstate “idle mode” to the RRC state “CELL_DCH” because, for example, ithas received a call. For this purpose, the mobile terminal UE1 isnotified that a call has arrived. The mobile terminal UE1 then sets up asignaling connection to the node in the mobile communications networkRNC, in which the mobile terminal UE1 sends an “RRC Connection Request”message to the node in the mobile communications network RNC. The nodein the mobile communications network RNC then sends an “RRC ConnectionSet Up” message back to the mobile terminal UE1. The mobile terminal UE1configures its protocol layers and sends an “RRC Connection Set UpComplete” message back to the node in the mobile communications networkRNC in order to confirm that the signaling connection has been set up.

By way of example, a table now can be sent to the node in the mobilecommunications network RNC, where it is stored, in the “RRC ConnectionSet Up Complete” message to the node in the mobile communicationsnetwork RNC. In the table, each multicast service A, B, C has anassociated piece of information which indicates whether the respectivemulticast service is activated or deactivated. In the event ofdeactivation, no multicast messages should be sent to that particularmobile terminal UE1, UE2.

Entries can be made in the table via keypads as input devices on themobile terminals UE1, UE2.

When a transmission of a multicast message now appears for the multicastgroup Ma, the node in the mobile communications network RNC has to findout where the mobile terminals in the relevant multicast group arelocated. Since fees also have to be charged for use of the multicastservice A, B and C, the node in the mobile communications network RNCalso must have information as to which users have activated a respectivemulticast service A, B and C and wish to receive it.

For this purpose, the node in the mobile communications network RNCcarries out a check for the mobile terminals UE1, UE2 which it controlsto determine whether the multicast group MA is marked as being activatedfor them, in their associated table.

Furthermore, the node in the mobile communications network RNC notifiesthe mobile terminal UE2 that a multicast transmission of a message hasarrived for the multicast group MA. The mobile terminal UE2 now checksits table to determine whether its user has activated the multicastgroup MA. Since this is assumed to be the case in the present exemplaryembodiment, the mobile terminal UE2 then sets up a signaling connectionvia the base station BS to the node in the mobile communications networkRNC, and likewise uses an “RRC Connection Set Up Complete” message totransmit its current table to the node in the mobile communicationsnetwork RNC.

The node in the mobile communications network RNC now has theinformation that the two mobile terminals UE1, UE2 wish to receive thedata in the message for the multicast group MA, and distributes theavailable radio resources in an appropriate manner. The message is nottransmitted to further mobile terminals in the multicast group MA forwhich one or more of the multicast services is or are deactivated.

It should be stressed that the updating of the tables in the node in themobile communications network RNC may be carried out in such a way as toensure reliable updating. Any signaling connections which occurregularly between the mobile terminal UE1, UE2 and the node in themobile communications network RNC may be used for this purpose. Thetransmission of a table relating to activation/deactivation of themulticast services A, B, C may also be carried out only when the mobileterminals UE1, UE2 receive a notification that a multicast message hasarrived which is intended for the multicast group A to which theybelong.

Indeed, although the present invention has been described with referenceto the specific embodiments, those of skill in art will recognize thatchanges may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scopeof the present invention as set for in the hereafter appended claims.

1. A method for administering a multicast service, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a notification to at least one subscriber of the multicast service, that a multicast message is ready for transmission over a mobile communication network; receiving, from the at least one subscriber, deactivation/activation information in response to the notification, wherein the information indicates whether one or more multicast services are one of activated and deactivated with respect to the multicast message; and transmitting the multicast message to the at least one subscriber if the deactivation/activation information indicates the one or more services are activated for receipt of the message.
 2. The method for administering a multicast service as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multicast message is not transmitted if the deactivation/activation information indicates the one or more services are deactivated for receipt of the message.
 3. The method for administering a multicast service as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multicast service is subdivided into at least two service elements, wherein the deactivation/activation information indicates if each service element is one of activated and deactivated.
 4. The method for administering a multicast service as claimed in claim 3, wherein the deactivation/activation information is received as a table from the at least one subscriber, and wherein the table contains an entry for each service element as to whether the respective service element is respectively deactivated/activated. 